This has been a crazy, hectic season for me. Even though we’re only a few weeks into the Fall plans. If you’re in ministry, you’ll appreciate what I’m feeling. With the rhythms of ministry, the fall is often the launch time for new programs or initiatives. Sort of the “let’s get back to more routine structure” after the slower pace of summer.

This week I find myself in the haze of launching new curriculum for our “Sunday School”, finalizing the fall schedule of volunteers, delivering the schedule and lessons via a system new to my volunteers, creating a new time between the services to engage families, and planning for a ministry training day on Saturday. Those pieces also involve coming up with a new name & branding for “Sunday School”, creating a large group environment, sharing information with and supporting the volunteers in the new system, creating new documents for the training, as well as the regular preparations for Sunday. All of that was only contained in a few hours of Tuesday.

Add in my own kids texting that they really need the spiral bound graphing paper that is NOWHERE to be found. And don’t forget the specific type of compass the geometry teacher wants. Oh, and we have curriculum night at the school. And please print off that paper I need. Don’t forget to add still trying to deal with insurance and repairs from my car getting hit last month. And my eyeglasses disappeared over the weekend. So even as I write this, late at night after the contacts had to leave my eyes, the font is enlarged to 500%. So let’s add ordering new glasses to the to-do list for the week. Starting. To. Hyper. Ventilate.

I had to pause several times today. When I found myself moving swiftly between multiple projects and requests for my input, I had to remind myself to breathe. Physically I kept finding myself tense and holding my breath. Breathe. In a year from now will people remember this craziness? No. Will I? Maybe. I’m sure I’ll get six weeks down the road, scratch my head, and say, “What was all that craziness about?”

Each time I paused to take a deep breath, I also said a quick prayer. “Jesus”. That’s what I prayed. He knew what I meant. Be here. Be with me. Be here with me now. Make the path clear. Make your plans my plans. Set me on the task you want me on, in this moment. Let me rest in your arms. Let me rest in your grace. Deep breath.

There is so much grace involved in all of this; it’s really quite incredible. And I gently found myself reminded to remember the “Why”. Why am I doing this. Don’t forget why I’m in this space, in this place, in this hectic haze now. Why? Quite simply because God ordained it. He called me. He will equip me. And I press on because I trust Him. I trust that He is enough. And I want to share that with kids. I want to share that with families. I want to share that with my own family.

So if you find yourself in this same crazy season of ministry or life, remember to breathe. He is enough.